Women’s History in the Making!
There has never been a time that’s both so rewarding and so heartbreaking for women. With every ground-breaking stride forward, we face another traumatic setback. And with every glass-ceiling shattered, it can feel like another one is erected in its place. But, as a badass woman once said, “A woman is like a tea bag — you can’t tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water.” And out of this hot water, we’ve come out stronger than ever.
Thanks to years (and sometimes decades) of hard work (shoutout to all the folks doing the work) a new wave of powerful women have taken charge, ready to channel their anger into activism. With every step backwards, there is reason for hope. With every Kavanaugh, there is an Ocasio-Cortez. For every Weinstein, there is a Tarana Burke. And for Trump, well… meet the 60 million women who refuse to metaphorically remove their foot off that overly tanned, wrinkled neck.
This Women’s History Month, we don’t want to just celebrate women who have changed the course of history, we want to uplift the women who are making history right now. This year’s shaping up to be another record-breaking year for women in politics, with hundreds of kickass candidates running for local office across the country. And while every candidate is unique, they all share one goal: make this world a little bit better for those that come after me.
This month, we salute history made and history in the making. Check out our blog every day to meet another badass female candidate and get to know the women who will define our country for decades to come. And if you really wanna lend your support, commit and donate to help us recruit more women to run for local office right now!
March 29: Cathy Copeland
Meet Cathy Copeland, running for Virginia House of Delegates in District 26. As an educator and activist, Cathy is a dedicated advocate for her community. Cathy founded ForHHS2 a grassroots organization focused on overcrowding in Harrisburg City Public Schools. She is also a member of the Sorensen Institute’s Political Leaders Program. As a rep for District 26, Cathy hopes to allocate more state money for education, prioritize the district’s economy, strengthen physical and mental health systems, and support the agricultural industry.
March 28: Irma Corado
Meet Irma Corado, running for Braddock District Supervisor for Fairfax County, Virginia. As a long-time resident of Fairfax County, Irma believes that all residents are deserving of true equity, justice, and inclusion. She seeks to institute equitable policies that address the most pressing concerns of people of color, immigrants, and workers. Irma is the co-founder of a local Latinx-led organization, an immigrant rights organizer, and a digital analytics associate for Indivisible Project.
March 27: Jessica Rothchild
Meet Jessica Rothchild, running for Scranton City Council in Pennsylvania! Dr. Jessica Rothchild is dedicated LGBTQ activist and community leader, serving in leadership positions including the Pennsylvania Commission for Women and the Scranton Human Relations Commission. In May 2018, she became Secretary of the LGBT Caucus for the PA Democratic Party.
March 26: JoBeth Hamon
Meet JoBeth Hamon, Oklahoma City City Council Member of Ward 6. As a dedicated and passionate public servant, JoBeth fights for the betterment of her local community. Previously, JoBeth worked in at the Mental Health Association of Oklahoma as the Education Coordinator where she coordinated the Zarrow Mental Health Symposium, a top rated conference that provides cutting edge mental health education to Oklahomans.
March 25: Amanda Pohl
Meet Amanda Pohl, running for Virginia State Senate in District 11. Amanda was born and raised in Virginia’s 11th District, where she and her husband now raise their daughters 10 miles from the elementary school Amanda attended. Amanda is a nonprofit team director and adjunct graduate social work instructor. Amanda has worked for healthcare for all Virginians, voting rights to formerly incarcerated citizens, privacy rights of sexual and domestic violence survivors, and more in her career.
March 24: Celia Morgan
Meet Celia Morgan, a mother, paralegal, UTA student, and a life-long resident of Arlington, Texas running for Arlington City Council in District 5. As a working mother and professional, Celia understands that the best interests of Arlington families are far more important than the special interests that influence the city’s decision making. District 5 is home to a number of college students, young families, and multi-generation families who all call Arlington home- all of which deserve a voice on the City Council.
March 23: Tina Belge
Meet Tina Belge, running for State Senate in South Carolina’s 6th District. A public servant, activist, and new mom, Tina is running for a seat that has never been opposed by the Democratic party. As a community planner she works with neighborhoods to address problems and improve lives but is constantly upheld by state barriers or laws. By impacting her state through legislation she hopes to make communities safer, as well as bring a voice to women and mothers in her state.
March 22: Marianne Lalonde
Meet Marianne Lalonde running for Alderperson of Chicago’s 46th Ward. Marianne is a PhD scientist and community leader, who feels that her diverse ward should be inclusive and accessible for all residents, regardless of socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, or mental health status. She is fighting to increase access to neighborhood assets, affordable housing, and gun violence prevention. If elected, Marianne would be the first scientist on Chicago’s city council.
March 21: Jenn Carrillo
Meet Jenn Carrillo, running for Bloomington City Council in Illinois. As a queer woman of color and the daughter of a working-class family, Jenn is deeply committed to advancing racial, gender and economic justice in her community. Jenn spent many years living in the US as an undocumented immigrant, and got her start leading a local movement to advance the rights of immigrants nearly ten years ago. If elected, Jenn would be the first Latina and openly queer person ever elected to this seat.
March 20: Lucero Wiley
Meet Lucero Wiley, running for Virginia State Senate in District 13. Originally from Mexico City, Lucero holds a variety of degrees across a number of disciplines including a Masters in Banking and Finance, a Masters in Business Administration, and a Bachelors Degree in Political Science. WOW! Lucero is running to increase representation across the Commonwealth, with a focus on diversity and inclusion. Her platform includes immigration reform, access to affordable healthcare, and economic growth for immigrant communities in Virginia.
March 19: Sarah Ullman
Meet Sarah Ullman, running for Silver Lake Neighborhood Council, Region 7 in Los Angeles, California. Sarah is a filmmaker and activist who cares deeply about the future of the Silver Lake reservoir, transportation and safety. Sarah has been a staunch supporter of the arts and has worked to bring about changes that help LA’s homeless community. Even more badass, Sarah is the of One Vote at a Time, a film initiative that brings a spotlight to candidates who will fight gun violence.
March 16: Jessica Ramos
Meet Jessica Ramos, State Senator of New York’s 13th District. Jessica has spent her life advocating for labor and organizing her local community. A strong union advocate, Ramos worked with Build Up NYC to fight for construction, building and hotel maintenance workers in New York City. Recently, Jessica along with numerous other local politicians advocated against the construction of Amazon’s new headquarters in Long Island City, New York. Her next battle? Decriminalizing sex work across the state.
March 14: Rhonda Hart
Meet Rhonda Hart, an activist and candidate running for Dickinson ISD Board of Trustees. Rhonda became the voice of thousands of parents after tragically losing her daughter in the Santa Fe High school shooting in 2018. After seeing that not enough was being done across her community — and state — to protect children from gun violence, Rhonda took a stand and began fighting for tighter gun regulation and “red flag” laws, even passionately confronting Ted Cruz. Today, Rhonda continues to advocate for smart gun reform while also encouraging people in her state to help elect progressives who will also push for safer measures that protect millions gun violence.
March 11: Brianna Lennon
Meet Brianna Lennon, County Clerk of Boone County, Missouri. Brianna is the Deputy Director of Elections and the first coordinator of the Election Integrity Unit. Later, Lennon was selected as the first coordinator of the Missouri Secretary of State’s Elections Integrity Unit. She worked closely with county governments and local election authorities to ensure that all elections were run openly and transparently.
March 10: Nicole Jeanine Johnson
Meet Nicole Jeanine Johnson running for Alderperson of Chicago’s 20th Ward. The third grade math teacher’s life mantra is, “Lifting as I climb,” which is what Johnson has done throughout her professional career. Her public service includes serving on the Local School Council, community initiatives with Teamwork Englewood, and youth civic engagement with Chicago Votes; and steered the execution of the “Parade to the Polls” with Chance the Rapper in 2016.
March 9: Avra Reddy
Meet Avra Reddy running for Madison City Council. Avra is a 19 year-old student at University of Wisconsin, Madison. After witnessing women of color like Rashida Tlaib and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez win during midterms, Avra was inspired to run for office. A dedicated progressive, Avra worked as a fellow for the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, fighting for progressive candidates.
March 8: Yasmine Taeb
Meet Yasmine Taeb running for State Senate of Virginia’s 35th District. Yasmine is an Iranian refugee who came to the US in the second grade as an undocumented immigrant. Her experiences have shaped her perspective on the significance of civic engagement and the power of voters to lead change. Yasmine is a human rights attorney and serves as Senior Policy Counsel at the Center for Victims of Torture, where she leads the organization’s advocacy and research on refugees and asylum seekers.
March 7: Tai Adkins
Meet Tai Adkins, running for Gary Common Council in District 4 of Indiana. Born and raised in the Midtown Area, Tai is a proud product of Gary, representing a New Voice, New Goals, New Vision and New Hope. As a young business professional, Tai quickly made her mark in the corporate world as a high-performing leader. Now she’s back home, utilizing her management and problem-solving skills to Gary.
March 6: Jen Devor
Meet Jen Devor, a candidate for Philadelphia City Commissioner. Jen is running because she believes all people should have a positive and empowering voting experience. As a community leader, election poll worker, block captain, and marketing professional, Jen recognized the direct correlation between election education and voter turnout in her own neighborhood and across the city. So, Jen decided to run for Philadelphia City Commissioner, a position responsible for elections and voter registration.
March 5: Maria Hadden
Meet Maria Hadden, Alderperson of Chicago’s 49th Ward. Maria Hadden made history in February, becoming the first queer Black woman to serve on City Council and beating out a 20-year incumbent! Maria is the Executive Director of Our City Our Voice, a nonprofit organization founded to enable communities to redesign democracy to be more transparent. Maria also works with BYP100, supports #NoCopAcademy, and wants to prioritize affordable housing.
March 4: Erin Zwiener
Meet Erin Zwiener, Texas State House Representative for District 45. Erin is an educator and conservationist from Driftwood. After organizing an Indivisible Town Hall for her congressman, Erin became determined to give Texans more progressive representation. As a member of the TX State House, Erin is committed to redefining what it means to be a women in politics. Two days into session, Erin helped pass a new reporting process to support victims of sexual harassment.
